The persistent inflammation in COPD: is autoimmunity the core mechanism?

COPD poses a significant global public health challenge, primarily characterised by irreversible airflow restriction and persistent respiratory symptoms. The hallmark pathology of COPD includes sustained airway inflammation and the eventual destruction of lung tissue structure. While multiple risk factors are implicated in the disease's progression, the underlying mechanisms remain largely elusive.

[Mechanism of combined treatment of rhein and emodin in Rhubarb for ulcerative colitis].

This study aimed to explore the efficacy and mechanism of combined rhein and emodin in the treatment of ulcerative colitis(UC) from the aspects of network pharmacology, animal inflammation improvement and molecular mechanism. Network pharmacology predicted that combined rhein and emodin acted on 52 potential targets, mainly participating in signaling pathways such as cancer, PI3 K/AKT, microRNAs in cancer and apoptosis. PI3 K/AKT signaling pathway has been reported to be closely related to UC, and the optimal candidate pathway for combined therapy.

Autophagy Elicits Neuroprotection at the Subacute Phase of Transient Cerebral Ischaemia but Has Few Effects on Neurological Outcomes After Permanent Ischaemic Stroke in Rats.

Objective: Autophagy was prominently activated by cerebral ischaemia. This study was to investigate the exact role of autophagy in ischaemic stroke.

Methods: Two rat models of transient middle cerebral artery occlusion (tMCAO) and permanent MCAO (pMCAO) were prepared.

Autophagy Promotes Cigarette Smoke-Initiated and Elastin-Driven Bronchitis-Like Airway Inflammation in Mice.

Cigarette smoke (CS)-induced macrophage activation and airway epithelial injury are both critical for the development of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), while the eventual functions of autophagy in these processes remain controversial. We have recently developed a novel COPD mouse model which is based on the autoimmune response sensitized by CS and facilitated by elastin. In the current study, we therefore utilized this model to investigate the roles of autophagy in different stages of the development of bronchitis-like airway inflammation.

Lipid metabolism in asthma: Immune regulation and potential therapeutic target.

Asthma is a chronic inflammatory disease of the lungs that poses a considerable health and socioeconomic burden. Several risk factors work synergistically to affect the progression of asthma. Lipid metabolism, especially in distinct cells such as T cells, macrophages, granulocytes, and non-immune cells, plays an essential role in the pathogenesis of asthma, as lipids are potent signaling molecules that regulate a multitude of cellular response.

Enriched environment boosts the post-stroke recovery of neurological function by promoting autophagy.

Autophagy is crucial for maintaining cellular homeostasis, and can be activated after ischemic stroke. It also participates in nerve injury and repair. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether an enriched environment has neuroprotective effects through affecting autophagy.

Cigarette smoke-initiated autoimmunity facilitates sensitisation to elastin-induced COPD-like pathologies in mice.

It is currently not understood whether cigarette smoke exposure facilitates sensitisation to self-antigens and whether ensuing auto-reactive T cells drive chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)-associated pathologies.To address this question, mice were exposed to cigarette smoke for 2 weeks. Following a 2-week period of rest, mice were challenged intratracheally with elastin for 3 days or 1 month.

Conversion to resectability using transcatheter arterial chemoembolization alternating with mFOLFOX6 in patients with colorectal liver metastases.

Background: Colorectal cancer is one of the most common malignancies in the world, and about 25% of colorectal cancer patients present with colorectal cancer liver metastases (CRCLM) even at new diagnosis. The study was to evaluate the safety and efficacy of transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) alternating with mFOLFOX6 in Chinese patients with unresectable CRCLM.

Materials And Methods: In this study, by combining the systemic and regional treatment, the resectability rate, overall survival, and progression-free survival were measured with addition of TACE.

Inactivation of MTOR promotes autophagy-mediated epithelial injury in particulate matter-induced airway inflammation.

Particulate matter (PM) is able to induce airway epithelial injury, while the detailed mechanisms remain unclear. Here we demonstrated that PM exposure inactivated MTOR (mechanistic target of rapamycin kinase), enhanced macroautophagy/autophagy, and impaired lysosomal activity in HBE (human bronchial epithelial) cells and in mouse airway epithelium. Genetic or pharmaceutical inhibition of MTOR significantly enhanced, while inhibition of autophagy attenuated, PM-induced IL6 expression in HBE cells.

[Drug Knowledge of Middle School Students in HIV-prone Areas of Liangshan].

Objective: To investigate drug knowledge of middle school students in HIV prone areas in Liangshan of Sichuan Province.

Methods: Students were randomly selected from the middle schools located in the HIV prone areas in Liangshan. A questionnaire survey was conducted.

[Smoking in Middle School Students in Priority Areas for HIV Control in Liangshan].

Objective: To determine the prevalence and determinants of smoking in middle school students in priority areas for HIV control in Liangshan of Sichuan Province.

Methods: Students were randomly selected in all of the schools located in the priority areas for HIV control in Liangshan. A questionnaire survey was conducted,collecting data in relation to socio-demographic characteristics of the participants,their smoking behavior,drug abuse in family members,and HIV infections in family members.

A study of the temporal robustness of the growing global container-shipping network.

Whether they thrive as they grow must be determined for all constantly expanding networks. However, few studies have focused on this important network feature or the development of quantitative analytical methods. Given the formation and growth of the global container-shipping network, we proposed the concept of network temporal robustness and quantitative method.

The Clinical Features and Bacteriological Characterizations of Bone and Joint Tuberculosis in China.

Bone and Joint tuberculosis (BJTB) constitutes about 10% of total extra-pulmonary TB cases. Since the BJTB is a paucibacillary condition, there has been no systematic study on the bacterial characterization, especially the epidemiological feature. Here we collected the mycobacterial clinical isolates, analyzed the clinical features and the bacteriological characteristics from 113 BJTB cases reported in China.

Bacteriological and virulence study of a Mycobacterium chimaera isolate from a patient in China.

A clinical isolate from a patient was identified as Mycobacterium chimaera, a recently identified species of nontuberculous Mycobacteria. The biochemical and molecular identity, drug sensitivity and virulence of this isolated strain were investigated. 16S rRNA, the 16S-23S ITS, hsp65 and rpoB were amplified, and their sequence similarities with other mycobacteria were analyzed.

[Evaluation of the reliability of thiophen-2-carboxylic acid hydrazine result for the identification of Mycobacterium bovis].

Objective: To evaluate the reliability of thiophen-2-carboxylic acid hydrazine (TCH) test for identification of Mycobacterium bovis (M. bovis).

Methods: A total of 4069 clinically isolated strains were identified by P-Nitrobenzoic acid medium (500 mg/L) and TCH medium (5 mg/L).

Osteoblast responses to thin nanohydroxyapatite coated on roughened titanium surfaces deposited by an electrochemical process.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate in vitro osteoblast responses to the thin nano-hydroxyapatite (HA) coating on porous implant surfaces.

Materials And Methods: Surface characteristics of nano-HA coating were evaluated by x-ray diffractometer (XRD) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). Murine preosteoblast cell (MC3T3-E1) proliferation, alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity, and osteocalcin release on nano-HA coated surfaces were compared with HA-coated surfaces.

E-cadherin promotes proliferation of human ovarian cancer cells in vitro via activating MEK/ERK pathway.

Aim: E-cadherin is unusually highly expressed in most ovarian cancers. This study was designed to investigate the roles of E-cadherin in the carcinogenesis and progression of ovarian cancers.

Methods: Human ovarian adenocarcinoma cell line SKOV-3 was examined.

[The risk factors for worsening renal function in patients with chronic heart failure].

Objective: To investigate the risk factors of worsening renal function (WRF) in patients with chronic heart failure (CHF) and WRF influence on prognosis.

Methods: A case-control study were undertaken to analyze independent risk factor statistically related to incidence of WRF, and to assess the influence of WRF on prognosis.

Results: The independent predictors of WRF were creatinine level at admission (OR 2.

Lack of trehalose accelerates H2O2-induced Candida albicans apoptosis through regulating Ca2+ signaling pathway and caspase activity.

Trehalose is a non-reducing disaccharide and can be accumulated in response to heat or oxidative stresses in Candida albicans. Here we showed that a C. albicans tps1Δ mutant, which is deficient in trehalose synthesis, exhibited increased apoptosis rate upon H(2)O(2) treatment together with an increase of intracellular Ca(2+) level and caspase activity.

N-[2-(2-Chloro-phen-yl)-2-hydroxy-ethyl]propan-2-aminium chloride.

In the title compound, C(11)H(17)ClNO(+)·Cl(-), the side chain of the ethyl-amine group is orientated approximately perpendicular to the benzene ring, the dihedral angle between the C/C/N plane of the ethyl-amine group and the benzene plane being 83.5 (3)°. In the crystal structure, inter-molecular O-H⋯Cl and N-H⋯Cl hydrogen bonds are observed.

[Impact of volatile sulphur compounds in periodontal pockets on initial periodontal therapy].

Objective: To investigate the relationship of volatile sulphur compounds((VSC)levels in periodontal pockets with severity of periodontitis, and the impact of VSC on the result of initial periodontal therapy.

Methods: Twenty-five patients with chronic periodontitis(CP)(13 males and 12 females with average age of 35) were included in this study. Clinical periodontal parameters, plaque index, probing depth(PD), attachment loss(AL), and bleeding on probing(BOP) were recorded before and 3 months after the initial therapy.